Valley Star Issue 2

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE: los angeles valley college’s

ALLEY

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the independent student newspaper

lavalleystar.com

February 23, 2011

PARKING PROBLEMS Students sound off on shortage of spaces.

NATIONAL CONDOM DAY We’ve got it covered.

SOFTBALL SHOWDOWN Valley battles Ventura.

SEE OPINION PAGE 3

SEE VALLEY LIFE PAGE 4

SEE SPORTS PAGE 8

Volume 74 Issue 2

IMPORTANT Parking permit requirement is now being enforced.

Failure to display a valid permit can result in a $35 citation.

Online Exclusive

Starring Owen Wilson.

Directed by Bobby Farrelly. “Hall Pass” opens Feb. 25. Online review coming soon.

Online Slideshow

View action-packed highlights of Valley’s men’s and women’s basketball teams.

BRIANA FARINA | Valley Star

SWIM FAN - Valley College sophomore Gabriel Fernandez comes up for air while swimming his heart out during Friday’s Western State Conference John Joseph Relays Meet held at Valley.

These features and more can be found in full @ www.lavalleystar.com

|See SPORTS, Page 8|

STUDENTS UNKNOWINGLy reveal personal information in pictures Technological advances such as geotagging complicate expectations of privacy.

STEPHANIE COLMAN NEWS EDITOR

A shot of your boyfriend’s “bed head,” a “food porn” pic of your lunchtime burger, and later, a quick shot as you head to the gym – all posted to a Facebook or TwitPic account. While shared in good fun, this common practice may be leaving Valley College students vulnerable to criminal activity.

Many popular smart phones and digital cameras now include the ability to geotag images taken by the device. A geotag is a GPS stamp that records technical information about the device, as well as latitude and longitude coordinates. By using a simple, free browser plug-in designed to extract and

display the tagged data, anyone can pinpoint the exact location where the photo was taken.

“Is it harmful? Not on face value, I suppose,” said Detective Richard Roberts of the Community College Bureau. “But what if a student were to gain an unwanted “friend” who turns stalker? Then what? Traditionally [a stalker] would have to find you, follow you, watch you, determine your pattern of behavior, and then start showing up at places you visit and where you live. If your pictures are geotagged, you have taken this often difficult task away from the stalker and provided him with all the information he needs to start stalking you sooner and more accurately.”

According to a 2010 report compiled by Washington, D.C.-based research firm ISL, more than 41 percent of Facebook’s then 103 million US-based users were 18- to 24-years-old.

Many students are unaware of geotagging and its potential dangers.

Valley psychology major Kelsey Capodieci had

not heard of geotagging. She doesn’t post pictures from her phone, but is mindful of overall privacy issues when it comes to sites like Facebook.

“I don’t want to give people I don’t know random access to me,” Capodieci said.

Other students agree about the need for increased awareness.

“Students are definitely not aware,” said Valley journalism major Bijan Nasseri, noting that photo posting sites like TwitPic often bury the option for disabling geotagging among the fine print. “I always un-check that option. I don’t think most people realize the magnitude … they just want to broadcast what they’re doing. We think it’s a freedom of speech issue … to be able to post things, but really, it’s a privacy issue.”

Disabling the geotagging function often requires scrolling through a maze of menu options to find the “location” setting, which can generally be set to “don’t allow” or “off.” However on many phones, |See GEOTAGGING, Page 2|

PHOTO COURTESY OF ICANSTALKU.COM

PANEL DISCUSSION EDUCATES VALLEY ON ISSUES IMPORTANT TO STUDENT VETeRANS Group discussion addresses ways to ease transition from soldier to student.

NATHAN MCMAHON STAFF WRITER

JENNIFER MORGAN | Valley Star

SOLDIER TO SOLDIER - Veterans Albert Vieane (left) and Ron Cunanan discuss the benefits available to Valley College veterans through the non-profit organization, The Soldiers Project.

lavalleystar.com

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Military veterans often struggle with readjusting to normal life as they integrate back into the civilian world. In a panel discussion Thursday, new ideas and initiatives were proposed that could help the transition for Valley College student vets.

Panelists included Debra Presser of The Soldiers Project, Alex Letterson of the Employment Development Department (EDD) Workforce Center, and Albert

Vieane with CalVets Operation Welcome Home.

Valley is home to more than 900 armed service veterans spanning various conflicts. Approximately 350 of the veterans are students attending school as part of their G.I. Bill Benefits, which cover tuition and provide housing and costof-living allowances. These benefits are a great way in which veterans are able to support themselves while gaining an education in preparation for the burgeoning and competitive workforce.

“I’ve had students reveal that they were veterans, so I wanted to get the information on how to best serve them,” said Tiffany Lanoix, an assistant professor in the sociology department who attended the discussion.

Panelists stressed the need for emotional support for veterans.

According to Presser, a licensed

clinical therapist with The Soldiers Project, the most important factor in a veteran’s re-integration into society is, “a social network and support.” Presser spoke of soldiers’ battle skills that may not have a place in our society, noting that “sometimes these skills may cause problems when returning home.”

Presser also stated that the biggest cause for concern is often the hidden problem of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Veterans returning from combat zones often have a hard time coping with what they may have seen or done, which can create mixed feelings that often result in anxiety and depression. A full two-thirds of combat veterans who are evaluated screen positive for PTSD. Panelist Alex Letterson of the EDD Veterans Workforce Center educated attendees about the many programs available |See PANEL, Page 2|

Send us your news tip to valleystar@lavalleystar.com or join us on Facebook.

news 2

February 23, 2011

VALLEY

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The Valley Star Info & Staff The Valley Star is published by students of the Journalism and Photography classes as a learning experience, offered under the college journalism instructional program.

Under appropriate state and federal court decisions these materials are free from prior restraint by virtue of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Materials published herein, including any opinions expressed and advertisements should not be interpreted as the position of the Los Angeles Community College District, the college, or any office or employee thereof.

Editorials are the opinion of the editorial board only and do not necessarily represent those of the entire staff. Columns are the opinion of the writer.

Letters are the opinions of the reader.

Editorial and Advertising Offices are located at 5800 Fulton Avenue Valley Glen, CA 91401 (818) 947-2576.

Editor in Chief Lucas Thompson Managing Editor J.P. Spence Copy Editor Jamie Norried news Editor Stephanie Colman Valley Life Editor David Motte Online Manager Ivan Zuniga Photo Editor Ricardo Varela Staff Writers Courtney Bassler, Avery Cross, Rachel Ferreira, Nicole Hutchinson, Barry Jakob, Mindee Jorgensen, Josh Lawrence, Carolina Leon, Rubi Martinez, Nathan McMahon, Kate Montana, Narine Petrosyan Staff Photographers Varughan Chapanian, Briana Farina, Eva Gala, Natalie Lozano, Scott Mitchell, Jennifer Morgan, Edgar Robles, Todd Rosenblatt, Samson Uba Advertising Manager Chip Rudolph Advisers Bill Dauber, Rod Lyons

AVAILABLE RESOURCES

FREE TUTORING FOR ALL STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED AT VALLEY COLLEGE.

MATH CENTER

HOURS OF OPERATION:

Monday - Thursday 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

WRITING CENTER HOURS OF OPERATION:

Monday and Wednesday 1:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

*BRING A VALID VALLEY COLLEGE I.D.*

FACEBOOK APPLICATION AIMS TO MAKE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS LESS STRESSFUL Admission Splash on Facebook can help students gauge their acceptance into four-year schools.

COURTNEY BASSLER STAFF WRITER

Applying to colleges and universities when not knowing the chances of being accepted can be stressful. Now, thanks to Admission Splash, there’s an app to reduce the worry.

Admission Splash, part of the CampusSplash network, a webbased startup company focusing on several aspects of college life, has partnered with Facebook to recently launch an application designed to help students determine the odds of getting into the colleges they are interested in.

Students start by making a list of the colleges and universities they are considering, selecting from a search-induced drop-down menu that currently includes 1,500 campuses. After that, they add required basic information such as grade point average, standardized test scores, anticipated major,

PANEL

Continued from page 1 to teach veterans how to improve their resume writing and interviewing skills.

“We can’t hold your hand and guarantee to get you a job, but we can mentor you,” Letterson said, encouraging veterans to take full advantage of available services.

Additional ideas to emerge from the discussion came from attending Valley staff members. The need to implement priority class add status for recent veterans as well as including helpful information to direct student veterans to available resources in class syllabi was discussed.

GEOTAGGING Continued from page 1

this completely disables the GPS functionality, which can affect mapping applications and make it impossible for emergency responders to track a caller’s location in the event of an emergency.

“The best way to protect yourself is to understand the technology you’re using,” explained Roberts. “If you take the time to learn the features of the technology, and think of it as, ‘how would this be used against me?’ you can take measures to prevent it from hurting you. If you sign up for every new thing that comes along, you run the risk of someone finding a way to make you a victim of that technology.”

gender, high school, birth date and if they are the first to go to college in their family. There is also optional information that students can fill out, such as participation in sports, employment or volunteer activity, and interest in joining certain clubs on campus, which can help improve results accuracy.

The application then uses an algorithm to determine and rate the chance of admission with five levels of likelihood ranging from “very good” to “very poor.”

Valley College philosophy major Holly Wolfstein said she would probably use the application.

“I think the idea definitely has potential,” said Wolfstein. “It’s also really helpful because I’m not applying yet, but I have colleges in mind so I can look into what I need to improve and how much.”

Although the idea of figuring out what to improve on is a great step, Admission Splash itself does not provide specific information on how to improve the odds of being accepted. However, to get an understanding of where students might want to personally improve, they could put in a higher grade point average to see how better grades would affect their chances, or see how deciding to volunteer might improve the odds for admission.

Nursing major Alex Montalbano would probably use the application but not take it to heart.

“I might use it just to see what it says, but I probably wouldn’t believe it,” said Montalbano. “It uses a formula and doesn’t look at the student as a whole. It’s just data … input in.”

According to a report on

Mashable.com, in a sample test of 88 students who were interested in UCLA, about 85 percent of students who used the application to determine their chances of being admitted to the campus were actually admitted.

To access the Admission Splash application, visit www.apps. facebook.com/admissionsplash/.

IMAGE COURTESY OF ADMISSION SPLASH ON FACEBOOK

NEWS around the world barry jakob staff writer

Local News:

National News:

HOLLYWOOD HILLS —

WASHINGTON, D.C —

A LA City firefighter injured in a blaze at a Hollywood Hills home died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Glenn L. Allen, 61, was a 38-year veteran of the department and was one year away from retirement. The fire injured an additional five firefighters.

(LA Times)

The newly sworn Republican House of Representatives passed a proposal on February 19 to trim $1.5 billion in federal funds from California. If a new spending bill isn’t passed by March 4, the federal government may be shut down until an agreement between Democrats and Republicans is reached. (LA Times)

CAMP PENDLETON —

International News: RABAT, MOROCCO — Thousands of protestors took to the streets of Morocco Friday to demand the curbing of King Mohammad’s power. “This is a peaceful protest to push for constitutional reform, restore dignity and end graft,” said Mustapha Muchtati of the Baraka group, one of the organizers behind the protest. (BBC News)

MONTGOMERY, Japanese troops from the ALABAMA —

Western Area Infantry Regiment are assaulting the green hills of Southern California as part of Operation Iron Fist. Approximately 200 Japanese troops will train with Marines for the next month. “Both sides are teaching and learning from each other,” said Marine Col. Michael Hudson. (LA Times)

Several hundred men and women marched to the Alabama Statehouse on Saturday afternoon commemorating the 150th anniversary of the inauguration of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. It was the largest event of the year organized by the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

(NY Times)

TRIPOLI, LIBYA — Anti-government rallies have broken out in the Libyan capital for the first time during the rule of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. The sound of gunfire could be heard across the city with reports indicating at least 200 demonstrators being killed by governmental forces.

(BBC News)

opinion

VALLEY

Timing is Everything

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Little Brother is finally old enough to hand out the beat down. j.p. spence

staff writer

As Valley College students, we know that parking can be a nightmare. What adds insult to injury is that while lots are full, the construction being done on Parking Lot D is exacerbating for everyone.

Valley’s Construction and Parking Updates on the campus website state, “Parking Lot D will be closed between January 6-February 6, March 8-June 7 and June 9-August 15, 2011for the construction of new photovoltaic panels in the parking lot. …” and “Once completed, this new photovoltaic panel installation … could potentially reduce the campus’s energy consumption by $400,000 annually.”

We’re seriously going to start parking at the Sherman Oaks mall and bus it to school.

“

Valley View | Do

3

Darwin was right

Courtney Bassler

-Tracie Viray Nursing Major

23, 2011

Two cents from spence

The scheduling of the construction for Parking Lot D could be at a better time for Valley students.

“

february

you think student

While it is great that Valley is updating parts of the campus and offsetting costs, it would be nice if the timing of the construction of Parking Lot D could be more suitable for the students.

You know, like after the semester.

Going green at Valley is great.

Truly, it is. But if going green is a topic of consideration, the parking lot should have been open that way students aren’t using more gas circling the parking lots to find a decent spot.

Nursing major, Tracie Viray, like many students on campus, isn’t too happy with the situation of the construction in Parking Lot D. “That’s ridiculous,” said Viray.

“Since it’s the beginning of the semester, more [students] are coming from different schools and now we are going to fight even more for parking or wasting our gas driving around looking for parking. We’re seriously going to start parking at the Sherman Oaks mall and bus it to school.”

At Santa Monica College, in order to park on the main campus it is $85 for the semester and there

Todd Rosenblatt| Valley Star

DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT - Allan Martel of SMS Transportation directs students away from a full lot with the assistance of the

Sheriff’s Department.

is also a lot with limited parking for $10 daily. Maybe Valley should take into consideration raising the price for each lot and limiting how many students can get a parking permit for each section of the parking. Surely, if a student knows that they were guaranteed a spot closest to their classes they might shell out more money for the hassle. Plus, that money could provide more workers for the construction of the panels to get the job done faster, or even help with some other financial issues at Valley.

Like it or not, it’s just annoying that these panels are taking up precious parking spots, wasting gas, money and just making students frustrated. However, things could be worse. Just ask SMC.

todd rosenblatt| Valley Star

NEEDLE IN THE HAYSTACK - Students attempt to find parking spaces that are simply not there during the first few weeks of school. as overcrowing has continued to get worsen.

Turning thirty-three into one

government should be The biggest problem confronting our generation is not the economy, but the unwillingness to reform. one government for every campus instead of because California lacks a voice for students one unified statewide Barry Jakob a single government to represent all students. to project. Protests and petitions aren’t enough. staff writer entity?

Unionizing the state’s 33 student governKnowing that information, let’s apply the ments into one statewide organization is the lessons of history to the present.

Any reform On Feb. 8, college leaders from the CSU and only way politicians will begin to think twice should revolve around transforming California’s UC systems backed Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget about cutting funds from public education 33 student unions into one, single, unified, proposal to cut $1.5 billion from public higher organized, central political force designed education. There was virtually no response from the student community except for a handful of to respond to massive budget cut proposals.

Secondly, model a new statewide student protests and petitions. California’s education sysgovernment on the UN General Assembly. tem has seen a $7.5 billion reduction over the past Give every college an equal posi10 years, yet student responses to the crisis have tion in a statewide student government been muted. Governors and legislators are turnthat can fight for all students in California. ing a deaf ear to the voices of students because “It would be hard to manage Budget cuts proposed over the last so many clubs. If there is one they lack any credible power as a political force.

10 years have started a faulty trend that has big entity it would be hard to One thing history has repeatedly taught is have separate entities.” that “united we stand, divided we fall.” Labor undermined the future of California’s youth.

Governor Brown’s recent proposal is testament -Daniel Alvarez laws, education and work reform have solely Animal Science emerged through unionization. Past generations to a growing need for students to be reprehave proved that viable representation comes sented. The current “33 student union” systhrough the creation of one, unified, organized, tem was founded at UC Berkeley in 1868. central association to represent the voices of all. Student communities have grown by 150 percent There are 33 combined CSU and UC since then, but still reform has yet to occur.

To stop the madness of the budget cuts, campuses. That’s 33 separate voices all trystudents must reform the way they are reping to be heard whenever budget cuts are resented.

Elected officials and public figures being legislated. California’s “33 student photo illustration by barry jakob| Valley Star won’t listen to the needs of young people unions system” is flawed because it creates “I guess yeah because when everything is simplified, it’s easier.”

-Brett Herrera English

“I think it should be city wise instead of state because it’s easier to address more local issues.”

-Anthony Christov Business

“I don’t think it’s a good idea because it takes away the freedom of schools to do what is right for their own students, because I believe every school is different and has its own needs.”

-Nancy Martinez Communications

Editor’s Note: The views expressed on this page are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Valley Star, its instructors, editors, staff or those of Los Angeles Valley College, its administrators, faculty, staff, or students.

Got a Letter to the Editor?

Letters to the editor can be sent to:

The slippery slope As the country’s political discourse gets more heated, the last thing we need is our Justices of the Supreme Court taking sides.

editor@lavalleystar.com Nathan Mcmahon or submitted online at

www.lavalleystar.com.

Letters must be limited to 300 words and may be edited for content. Full name and contact information must be supplied in order for letters to be printed. Send by Thursday for the following week’s issue.

Visit us online @

www.lavalleystar.com

staff writer

In a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, Justice Clarence Thomas had “overlooked” disclosing his wife’s income for at least five years.

From 2003 to 2007, she had earned a purported $686,589. The lack of consequences or public outcry is nothing short of ridiculous and these flagrant violations of ethics need to be addressed.

According to federal law, federal judges are required to disclose spousal income every year in a Supreme Court financial disclosure form. This income came from The Heritage Foundation, which is a right-wing think tank that often has say and influence in the political discussions of our times.

In recent years, the growing politi-

cal divide has had an adverse effect on our country’s political discourse, which in turn has effectively limited our federal government’s ability to just get things done. We as citizens, can also apparently look forward to our last supposed bastion of neutral governance, the Supreme Court, as a wing of political opportunism and bastardized capitalism that has the unfettered ability to restrict “we the people” in our everyday lives.

This trend toward absolutism at the hands of unelected officials is nothing new, as politics, money, and the courts have always been incestuously intertwined. Now, it is so flagrantly flaunted that people have just grown accustomed to tuning out the political process and the players involved.

Also of importance is the revelation that Citizen’s United spent a whopping $100,000 in 1991 on ads that supported Justice Thomas during his controversial nomination to the Supreme Court.

Justice Thomas’ deciding vote in last year’s Citizen’s United case was an obvious conflict of interest and he should have recused himself from the proceedings.

Also of note is the appearance and speaking engagement of Justice Thomas at a private Koch Industries event. Koch Industries has been the corporate bank roller of the misguided Tea Party movement and has a vested interest in the abolishment of so-called “Obamacare.” Here

again we can expect that he will not recuse himself from this decision.

Looking at these events as a whole can only lead one to conclude that this Supreme Court is far more politically motivated than it should be. These un-elected officials hold sway over our nation as a whole and to ignore the problems that these inconsistencies in ethics represent is a disservice to us as citizens of this great nation. We must demand that political and financial influence stops at the steps of the Supreme Court and any decisions made are ones that adhere to the Constitution and benefit the people. Without this, we as citizens will be further disenfranchised.

Courtesy of Zimbio.com

T

he idea of the Internet becoming a daily facet in everyone’s life appears to be a quaint, dare I say, cute idea. A digital world where one can get electronic mail while getting free sports, breaking news, and porn in a matter of clicks is a modern-day Valhalla. Big businesses thought the Internet was a friend too, an easy way to sell overstocked merchandise at a quicker pace with online exclusives. Everything was going great for big retail business until little brother finally kicked them in the ass.

Blockbuster Inc., the former movie rental giant, announced this week that the company has decided to put itself up for auction after plans for bankruptcy fell through. There are many factors in the scenario, but things have to be going badly when plans for bankruptcy fall through.

This comes on the heels of last week’s news that book retailer, Borders Group Inc., is closing one-third of their stores as part of a Chapter 11 filing.

It’s just staggering how people are still amazed that big businesses are going under because of the Internet. This is something that has been happening to the print media for years, but obviously most people care more about purchasing the umpteenth billion James Patterson novel used on Amazon instead of being informed on state, national and world news. It’s almost like a cry-wolf effect where everyone declares the Internet as a harbinger of financial doom, but are still shocked when it finally happens.

For the record, financial doom should happen. It’s inevitable. Not for everyone, but for Borders and Blockbuster in particular. These are antiquated models whose bubbles should have burst long ago. The world we now live in financially is completely different from the one that took Borders and Blockbuster to the their primes. For example, the disposable income that is required for these businesses to thrive is becoming a luxury, exponentially by the day. It was only within the past two years that these two businesses attempted online sales and promotions. By that time they were only an afterthought to a myriad of online companies selling the same product cheaper and more efficiently.

Take Netflix for example. You can order unlimited films for a month at a slightly higher price than one Blockbuster rental.

And the same goes for Borders. Unless you’re an employee (soon to be a former employee) with a 40 percent discount, the only discount for people who are actually trying to save is online.

The point is this: no one can sanely deny that the Internet is the wave of the future. But honestly, the Internet and new technology are both yesterday’s news. That’s the problem with the job market today. What few jobs are available require a skill set that people can’t afford to learn or are too lazy to acquire. The unemployed and struggling big business, share the same problem and must learn one important piece of information — learn to adapt or get left behind.

E-mail Josh Spence at managing@lavalleystar.com Send general comments to valleystar@lavalleystar.com

valley life 4

february

23, 2011

LAVC

Events

February 24, March 3, or 10 LAVC to Hold Annual Groundhog Job Shadow Day Starting

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PHILOSOPHY LECTURE SERIES BEGINS WITH A LOVE FOR LEARNING

Professor Christopher Pallotti lectured a series with his personal choice of Socrates.

COURTNEY BASSLER

STAFF WRITER The LAVC Career/Transfer Center will offer its annual Groundhog Job Shadow Day starting on Feb. 24 to students who are interested in learning more about careers. This program offers students the opportunity to see what its like to work in an occupation that interests them by spending half a day at a company or organization, and “shadowing” someone in a field they want to learn more about. Interested students are required to attend one of the following five mandatory orientations: Thursday, Feb. 24 at 1 p.m., Thursday, March 3 at 1 p.m. or 5:30 p.m., or Thursday, March 10 at 1 p.m. or 5:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Clive Gordon at (818) 778-5576 or e-mailing gordonca@ lavc.edu.

!

think Transfer

FAFSA filing period ends March 2, 2011.

Apply on line: www.fafsa.ed.gov

Fall 2011

UC Applicaton Updates due on line: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/appupdate

February Thursday, 24

Job Shadow Orientation 1-2 p.m.

Come find out how you can spend a half day shadowing a professional in a Career that interests you!

Woodbury University Rep 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Undecided Major/ Career Workshop 5-6 p.m.

Designed to help students explore Major and career options

Monday, 28 CSUN Rep 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Undecided Major/ Career Workshop 1-2 p.m.

Designed to help students explore major and career options.

How to Transfer Workshop 5:30-6:30 p.m.

All activities in the Career/Transfer Center, Student Services Annex.

For Further information visit our web site at www.lavc.edu/transfer or call (818) 9472646.

Valley College’s Philosophy lecture series started Feb. 15 with Professor Christopher Pallotti, the faculty sponsor of the series, addressing a group of more than 15 students about the philosopher Socrates.

The lecture series entitled “The Great Philosophers” is hosted by the Philosophy department with the intention of bringing a community of learners together at Valley.

“What … inspired me to bring this lecture series was my belief in

my passion for philosophy,” said Pallotti. “One of the things that I think is really important is the love of learning, and I think philosophy … emphasizes the pure love for the activity of learning.”

With the topic of philosophy, many can know much information while others know very little; what made this lecture so interesting was the fact that Pallotti was engaging with his audience. He asked if people knew anything at all or what they did know about Socrates. He taught the lecture from “ground zero,” as he said, which truly showed that he wanted to make sure everyone got something out of the address.

“It was actually pretty much what I was looking for when I came here,” said English major John Henry Evans. “It’s information of what I’ve heard before, but in a completely new way and brought

a whole new depth to it, which I appreciated.”

While the choice of Socrates seemed like a reasonable one due to its chronological nature as one of the first philosophers, Pallotti picked Socrates because “his writings and ideas are very accessible and easy to relate to,” he explained.

Pallotti’s lecture mainly focused on the history of Socrates and whom he was, explaining that Socrates liked to observe people and understand their nature. He also spoke about the Socratic Turn, the idea that changed philosophy from a mythological poetry perspective to a more scientific understanding of things.

The next lecture, which is open to the community free of charge, is titled “Ancient Philosophers” presented by Dr. Dievendorf on Tuesday, March 1 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Campus Center 104.

NO GLOVE,NO LOVE Valley College’s Student Health Center offers services at little to no cost to help promote sexual health CAROLINA LEON

STAFF WRITER

Love is in the air for many students during the month of February and in an effort to spread awareness, instead of disease, National Condom Day was established on the most romantic day of the year, Valentine’s Day. National Condom Day is celebrated annually on campus with an event sponsored by Valley College’s Student Health Center, “Love Responsibly.” The event scheduled to take place Feb. 16 during Club Day was cancelled due to the rain but many students still received their “raincoats.”

Jeri Holden, Valley’s

health educator, along with the Student Health Center planned “Love Responsibly.” As the event approached the only thing that could not be controlled was the weather. Holden was prepared to deliver 125 goodie bags to different classes, in the event of rain.

The goodie bags included eight condoms, an informational guide for putting on a condom, candies and resource information for testing.

“National Condom Day is an extremely important day to recognize and promote, primarily the prevention of STIs and STDs,” said Frances Garcia, athletics professor at Valley whose class was visited. “What a great way to catch the attention of students and possibly save lives!”

Flyers were posted on campus in order to promote the event, but when it was cancelled only one studentapaid a visit to the Student Health Center. She received her gift with what some

would say, important valuables.

The Student Health Center is located in the North Gym and is a service open Monday through Friday for students. They provide no-cost services such as physical exams, health assessments, blood pressure checks and psychological services. Other low cost services are offered such as immunizations and lab tests. Free condoms can always be picked up by students of ages 18 and older with an ID. “National Condom Day was February 14; we wanted to provide goodie bags that included condoms and free STD screening information,” said Maria Sandoval, medical assistant at the Student Health Center. “We’re here and we’d like to let the students know what services we provide for them.”

Students interested in the services available to them by the Student Health Center can contact (818) 947-2918.

EDGAR ROBLES | VALLEY STAR

LOVING THE JOB - Prof. Christopher Palloti lectures studentes on Socrates

SO IT GOES ...

Hollywood digs deep to monotize on forgotten and overused superheroes.

DAVID MOTTE

W

hile Hollywood is anticipating the big “Avengers” movie in 2012, moviegoers can expect to be bombarded with a slew of superhero films over the next two years. Here’s a look at all the sequels, prequels, reboots, re-imaginings and a few of the newcomers approaching the big screen.

Joining Iron Man at “The Avengers” roundtable are multiplex rookies Captain America and Thor, two characters that nobody has cared about since the 1950s, which should go over well with today’s finicky youth. Being resurrected for a third time in Hollywood’s second golden age is the hotheaded green mutant, The Hulk, who will also be joining the Avengers team on screen. The big green shoes previously worn by Eric Bana and, later, Edward Norton, will now be filled by Mark Ruffalo. As exciting as “The Avengers” sounds, having to sit through each individual Avenger’s movie before the ensemble film comes out is a little overwhelming.

Also seeing yet another reincarnation in tinsel town is that spandex-loving webslinger Spider-Man. They can make Spider-Man movies all they want; he’ll never get his dignity back. With the comic books, movies, and a Broadway show, Spider-man has become the biggest superhero whore of them all. Sloppy seconds on the red mask go to Andrew Garfield (“The Social Network”) in the Marc Webbdirected revamp. The X-Men will also get another shot at trying to impress moviegoers with a prequel focusing on the relationship between Professor X and Magneto.

On the DC side of things, Christopher Nolan’s third and final Batman film is perhaps the most anticipated of all the caped crusader films being released in the near future.

“The Dark Knight Rises” has only one confirmed villain so far: Tom Hardy (“Inception”) as Bane – the chemically enhanced strongman responsible for breaking the original Bruce Wayne’s back in the 1993 comics. Anne Hathaway is attached to play Selena Kyle, though the casting announcement did not mention anything about Kyle’s alter ego, Catwoman.

The most questionable comic book movie in production, however, is the untitled re-reboot of Superman currently in the hands of director Zack Snyder (“Watchmen”).

Though the villain has yet to be announced, the plot should incorporate the death of Superman, featuring Doomsday. Part of the reason for Brian Singer’s 2004 “Superman Returns’” lack of success was the villain being Lex Luthor, as it had been in all the previous films.

Superman’s death was the only thing that could save the comic book series; it seems logical that it would be the only thing that could save the movie.

In retrospect it seems ironic how much effort Hollywood is putting into rebooting and revamping all these used and worn out comic book characters, when the two best comic book movies of 2010 have been about two modern and previously uncharted characters: “Kick-Ass” and “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” Both of these movies only had to go through one director to be perfect the first time, and both appealed to all generations, not just the World War II Vets who read Captain America in grade school. There’s a little food for thought, Hollywood.

E-mail David Motte at valleylife@lavalleystar.com Send general comments to valleystar@lavalleystar.com

valley life @ You again VALLEY

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The low-fi comedy starring Ed Helms and John C. Reilly feels like visiting old friends.

J.P. Spence

Managing Editor

courtesy of Fox Searchlight

The odd thing about “Cedar Rapids” is that it feels so intensely familiar, even during the first viewing. Take into account that this was done intentionally, unlike most Liam Neeson projects (“Taken Part Two” … er, “Unknown”). In most cases this would spell instant doom for most films, yet the familiarity only adds warmth to a timeless story of a stranger being in a strange land.

Ed Helms is Tim Lippe, an amazingly naïve small town insurance agent who heads to the major metropolis that is Cedar Rapids, Iowa to attend an insur-

ance convention. Given strict orders to avoid Dean Ziegler (John C. Reilly), Lippe soon befriends the insurance agent and learns to not only have new experiences, but to redefine his parameters of living. Helms is excellent as the gobsmacked agent. First impressions would assume so considering the proximity of this role compared to ones seen in “The Office” and “The Hangover.” Even though Helms is one of the best comedic deadpan actors working today, it’s the subtle layers of humanity and discovery that he adds to his role that really makes this performance stand apart from his usual one-dimensional characters. Conversely, John C. Reilly relishes the single dimension and manages to wring out as much comedy as possible. Reilly usually does his best work as the foil for the main character and “Cedar Rapids” is no exception.

Phil Johnston may have written the film, but director Miguel

Arteta definitely adds his own f lavor to the proceedings. Arteta combines the awkwardness of “Chuck & Buck,” sexual ambiguity of “The Good Girl” and the intentionally low-fi quality of “Youth In Revolt” into something that is the director’s calling card while original in its own right.

“Cedar Rapids” is supported by a fantastic ensemble cast full of people that you don’t know, but you know who they are.

Stephen Root, Kurtwood Smith, Rob Corddry, Alia Shawkat, and ThomasLennon provide great background for Reilly and Helms to take the spotlight.

The actor who invariably steals the show is Isiah Whitlock Jr. Known more for playing corrupt senators, Whitlock’s role as straight man adds to some of the biggest laughs in the film.

“Cedar Rapids” isn’t going to be a big office draw but it’s easily a funnier film than advertised and certainly better than most of the other drivel passing as cinema.

more Fun for your buck Carcassonne, for the iPhone, brings big board game fun to the small screen.

Nathan Mcmahon staff writer

A game with the jumbled up parts of a puzzle, chess, and the strategic nature of Risk may not sound appealing to your average casual gamer. In the case of the classic German board game, Carcassonne, now on the iPhone, those disparate elements add up to just the right amount of fun and game play to make this one of the best apps on the iPhone hands down, period..

Carcassonne may not be as well known or as popular of a tabletop board game as Monopoly, Scrabble, or even chess, but since its introduction in 2000, it has gained a rabid fan base. Its eventual appearance on gaming devices and handhelds was foregone conclusion.

The game, developed by The Coding Monkeys, has the players placing 72 tiles in any pattern on the board. Along the way you have to strategically place your 7 game pieces on the tiles and try to accrue more points than your opponents by the time the last tile is placed.

The tiles themselves have four different types of terrains and come in 19 different configurations. For each turn, the players draw a tile from the stack and then have to attach the tile with the other tiles already placed on the board so that the terrains match up.

The different types of terrain are roads, grass, cities and cloisters. Once the player places the tile they then have the option to attach one of their seven game pieces onto a specific terrain of the tile.

Each terrain offers advantages and disadvantages and the placement is key in scoring points immediately and also in the potential of scoring points in the future which can make or break a winning game.

The player pieces each take on a different type of role depending

on where they are placed on the tile and this placement also determines points as well as keeping that piece out of commission until the section the player is building is complete.

If the piece is placed on the city, they are considered a “knight”.

The knight can’t be removed until the city is completely walled in.

This give and take of player pieces and tile placement is at the heart of intense strategy of the game. Player’s may often find themselves having to choose whether they want to place a piece on the board and risk losing it for the rest of the game because they are unable to complete their planned scenario.

When Carcassonne came out for the iPhone in May of 2010, its $4.99 price tag may have seemed a bit steep for a miniaturized and digitized version of a less than well known board game. Since then, its price has jumped to $9.99. That may seem steep at first, but dollar for dollar, and for the amount of fun and playtime you’ll get out of it, you’re making out like a bandit if you get this amazing little app.

opening this weekend

Hall pass

Owen wilson jason sudeikis Christina applegate

Top 5 Box Office: •Unknown: $21.8m+ •I Am Number Four: $19.5m+ •Gnomeo and Juliet: $19.4m + •Just Go With It: $18.2m+ •Big Mommas: $17m+

MEDIA R e le a s e s DVD megamind

Also available: •Due Date •”Weeds”: Season 6 •Get Low •All-Star Superman

SongsTop Downloads Lady Gaga

courtesy of dvice.com

Born This Way

Also: •Cee Lo Green - Forget You •K aty Perry - E.T. •Bruno Mars - Grenade •Rihanna - S&M

Concerts & Theatre

•Supervillains: Feb . 24 SLO Brewing Company •Vertical Horizon: Feb . 24 Coach House Capistrano •Missing Persons: Feb .25 Angel’s Sports Bar •E-40: Feb . 25 House of Blues Sunset Strip •Pendulum: Feb 25 The Wiltern

•Stone Temple Pilots: Feb . 26 Fox Theatre •Steel Panther: Feb . 28 House of Blues Sunset Strip

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headed down the right tracks The Valley College track and field teams look forward to the season ahead. narine petrosyan staff writer

After an off season full of training, and overcoming adversity, the Valley College men and women’s track teams, which were 2010 state championship participants, are looking forward to a new season and higher rankings.

Last year the men’s team, led by coach Wolman, made it to the

state championships, placing 20th overall. Individual athletes such as Donte Gilmer, and Kyle Ballew placed fourth in hurdling and the pole vault. Gilmer ran hurdles and finished with a score of 14.7. Ballew found his way into the Valley record book with a pole vault jump of 8.75. in 16 seconds.

This season the men look to expand the amount of athletes in each competition and increase the Monarchs state-wide rankings. The team consists of seven returning athletes, combined with a variety of freshman, transfers, football players, and a few more who are still being recruited.

“There is a big diversity in the

team this year,” Wolman said. “It’s going to be a good year. We have a lot of hard workers.”

The women’s team, led by six - year head coach Yannick Allain, also holds high hopes for the season.

“Last year was a down season,” said Allain, with only one state finalist in Javalin and four qualifying athletes. “This year we hope to do better,” Gilmer, Ballew, and Lexi Rivas of the men’s team believe they can do better this year and make it to the state championships, win two relays and have 4-5 successful athletes in state. With a high turnover of 85 percent freshmen joining this season, Allain is confident in his team.

The 2nd Western State Conference will be held at Valley College Friday April 2, and student supporters are always welcome, according to Allain.

“The sport doesn’t get enough recognition, its actually very interesting, like a four - ring circus, and we can always use more support” Allain said.

The Monarchs first meet is the Pomona Pulitzer on Saturday where the teams will compete against higher division schools like CSU Pomona, followed by the WSC relays in Ventura County on Friday February 25.

varughan chapanian | Valley Star

HUSTLE - Valley College long jump coach Cheikh Toure instructing his athletes.

Lady Monarchs win through chemistry Even with Valley’s starting point guard out with an ankle sprain, the Monarchs continue to win. courtney bassler staff writer

After coming off of a successful victory against College of the Canyons Wednesday, the Lady Monarchs were able to secure yet another win defeating Bakersfield

monarch SCHEDULES Baseball:

Thursday, Feb. 17 Casey Stengal Tournament vs.

Golden West @ Santa Ana 2 p.m.

College on Saturday 62-52 on sophomore night.

“With our starting point guard out from the COC game, it was hard to find chemistry,” said Valley Head Coach Monica Hang. “The ladies had a hard time filling in her spot because everyone had to play a little bit out of their comfort zone. They did come together [and stepped] up.”

The Monarchs, which lost Pelayo due to a low and high ankle sprain, managed the victory against the Bakersfield Renegades, which are the fifth ranked team in the Western Conference Southern Division. The Monarchs, ranked second in conference, now hold a record of 8-3 and have secured a spot in the playoffs with victories over College of the Canyons and Bakersfield.

“We didn’t play hard enough,” said Bakersfield College Interim Head Coach Tayler McQuilliamz. “We had struggles with their defense.”

Defense and the recognized sophomores defined the match up Saturday.

The five sophomores, escorted by their families, were acknowledged at the beginning of the game. Each received a poster of all of the sophomores along with flowers and a balloon stamped with each player’s number. The sophomores also presented the coaching staff with a gift prior to the game to show thanks for all of their support and guidance. “[The] focus was defense and to help people open up and score,” said Monarch guard Porcha Davis. “We could have played harder. It’s our last game [and] I’m going to miss playing for Valley.”

The Monarchs final game of the regular season will take place Feb. 19 against the Santa Monica Corsairs at Santa Monica College. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 18 Casey Stengal Tournament vs.

Los Angeles Harbor @ Harbor 2 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 19 Casey Stengal Tournament vs.

Cerritos @ Cerritos 10 a.m.

analyze this The ignorant lakers fan Patience is key. lucas thompson

A

varughan chapanian | Valley Star

Flyin - Valley forward DeShawn Patterson sails past the College of the Canyons defense to make a lay-up shot during Wednesday’s home game.

Monarchs Fall to Renegades The Monarchs couldn’t find a way to overcome the Bakersfield Renegades Saturday. joshua lawrence staff writer

From the opening tip-off Saturday, the Valley College Monarch men’s basketball team showed fatigue. The team’s lack of energy and outmatched starting five and bench led to the 81-67 loss against the Bakersfield Renegades, the second consecutive after a 70 to 63 loss to the Renegades on Jan. 19.

“We started flat,” said Monarch shooting guard Marcus Johnson.

“We put ourselves in a big hole and it came back to bite us in the end.”

The Renegades came out strong with Cooper Damron scoring the first four points on an opening 8-0 run. The Monarchs’ first points came off free throws shot by sophomore forward DeShawn Patterson five minutes into the game.

Johnson led the Monarchs with 21 points, 18 of which were threepoint shots. He did receive some help from teammate Alex Strauther who contributed nine points, three rebounds, and four steals.

The Monarchs went into the locker room at halftime trailing by six, 39-33. Hopes of coming back and making a statement were

shot down by a 19-6 run by the Renegades six minutes into the half. Halfway through the second half, the Monarchs trailed by 20. In the next five minutes, the Monarchs produced 18 points as a result of two three-pointers from Johnson, and baskets from forward Alex Smith, Strauther, and Patterson. “[The Renegades] got a lot better,” said Monarch Head Coach Virgil Watson. “They have a couple strong players and they shot better than they have any other game.”

With five minutes left in the game and down by 13 points, the Monarchs refused to give up, pulling within seven with three minutes remaining.

However, the Renegades out-hustled the Monarchs and increased the lead back to 12 with another 5-0 run with a minute to play. One last three-pointer from Johnson with 30 seconds left were all the points the Monarchs could produce in the final minute. The Renegades made three more free throws and a final “dagger” basket with 10 seconds left on an easy lay-up.

“We didn’t have energy the whole game,” Watson said. “We are better than this and we didn’t play to our full potential. We need to play like champions again and get our intensity back. We used to play all out, but we didn’t today.”

Track and Field

Saturday, Feb. 19 vs. Pomoana Pitzer @ Pomona 9 a.m.

Softball:

Thursday, Feb. 17 vs. Oxnard @ Valley 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 22 vs. Ventura @ Valley 2:30 p.m.

Swimming and Diving: Friday, Feb. 18 WSC Relay @ Valley 10 a.m.

Friday/Saturday, Feb. 25-26 Mt. SAC Invitational @ Mt. SAC All Day

ricardo varela, photo editor | Valley Star

CLUTCH - Valley College forward Tracy Petlow putting in a lay up Saturday.

Ricardo varela, photo editor| Valley Star

HOT SHOT - Valley freshman guard Darius Hooks lays a shot up during Saturday’s home game versus Bakersfield.

s the NBA All Star Break approaches this weekend in Los Angeles, Laker’s fans and critics alike have not been shy in displaying their short term memories and disloyal practice.

When the purple and gold lost at home against Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics 96-109 on Jan. 30, questions and speculations began to surround the Lakers organization and it’s capability of winning another championship. In the days after the loss several trade rumors began surfacing including that of Ron Artest and Andrew Bynum.

Wait, let me repeat that for you, yes- Ron Artest and Andrew Bynum. Ok. Granted Artest has looked somewhat lackadaisical during certain portions of the season, but Artest? Are we talking about the same guy who threw up 20 points, five rebounds and five steals in 46 minutes of game 7 of the NBA Championship last year?

By the way if you haven’t been on planet earth for the past couple of years, that was the second consecutive championship the Lakers have put together since 2001-02. And it was against Boston.

“Kobe wanted to win,” Artest said after game 7. “He didn’t want to lose. He was determined. He was Kobe Bryant, Black Mamba,” Artest explained. “Later in the second half, he started to move the ball and attack the pass. He trusted us and he made us feel so good, and he passed me the ball. He never passes me the ball.”

While Artest was showing off a bit of his humorous side, he was also showing why he is so valuable as a player. Ron is the guy in the trenches who does what it takes to come out victorious when it really counts. He snags rebounds, grabs steals, throws up three-pointers, and cooks dinner all while getting dirty looks from the “Zen Master.”

He’s that scrappy, ruthless player every team needs but few acquire … and he will be essential come playoff-time, especially against the Celts.

And now to make matters worse there are rumors floating around about trading Andrew Bynum. It’s no secret that what makes the Lakers such a dominant force is two things: height and experience. Without the triple threat height in Bynum, Odom, and Gasol, the Lakers are just another team in the NBA. Bynum is the last of his kind in this league, he is the only true turn your back to the basket, work the middle, dish out, and shoot high, all game center left in the league, and when he is healthy … he will be the best.

It’s players like Artest who define what the Lakers are and why they have been so successful. They know when to turn up the heat and when they can tail off a bit. They’re experience, talent, and of course Phil Jackson make them an unbeatable force when at full potential.

And trust me, the slow, disorganized and “older” team which has defined the “Lake Show” as of late, will soon dissipate when Kobe and co. show you their true colors.